Machine for rolling screw threads, etc.



March 13, 1956 C w PLAGEMANN ETAL 2,737,833

MACHINE FOR ROLLING SCREW THREADS, ETC.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 2, 1951 Invenor's.-

March 13, 1956 w. PLAGEMANN Erm. 2,737,833

MACHINE FOR ROLLING SCREW THREADS, ETC.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2. 1951 March 13, 1956 'w. PLAGEMANN ETAL 2,737,833

' MACHINE FOR ROLLING SCREW THREADS, ETC.

Filed April 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 maa??? i .l l

Wij

Att-fuggi States Patente@ fri' NIACHINE'FORRLLING SGREWSTHREADSQETC. s

amb Wilhelm., Moeltzner, Berlin-Charlottenburg,Grmany; assignors* Werner Plgemann, Berlili-Hzilensee,l

to:LandisMachinefCompanyyWaynesboro; Pri.;` :vcorporationeof *Pennsylvania Application-Arriz; .1951, Serial No;'.218,f716 f, I* Climsiprol'ity', application Germany; Aprili; 1950 91C'kll1lsi';` (CLSQFG) 'I'li'eapresenttinvention relates toa machinefor roll= ing'fscrew threads or the likeon" bolts, capv screws, etc.

nalledparallel to eachother in the sarnehorizontalfplane frrotatio'n' inithe' same direction and* which ,during-the thread rollinglaction are cutting Yby rneansof theirthread the automatic" transfer of the work=pijeces`T to and from the" work formingstation` has' so far been' effected' by meansof special'contrivances which conveyjthgework-` pieces from a separatelyv arranged workireceiving Y station; (a1 magazine or' the like) f to the workiforming'positin1b'etWeen the rollers, l and which secure' the workpieces in tlrat work forming station' while thei thread rollingis'. being done; The contrivance chieliyI usedfor this purpose/isa slidewhich, after it h'aslbeen' moved Ibetweenthe'rollers; serves as a support forthe work-pieceL Thsiadditionalmachine needed for the transfer:of the workspieces to` and" from the work' forrningjrstation` reqniresa complicated .devicefor the` control ofits opera# tion.l Moreover, as thefslide' is provided Afor therecepg tionirofithe' workpiecesl with ra recess;A` which' is" adapted intusiiesto. that `ofthle workpieces, the slidehasitobe ex-L changgdwhenever the ,size of vthe work-pieces changes;

Erthermore; arcontrivance of "this, known' type isl'only suited'for the automatic transferofbolts'of smcfothcylindricalshape.v

Henc.e, thei` Plfinicipal 1 object of the' present invention istorprovide machine tools,vparticularly threadrolling machines whichj `have their rollers rotatab'yvV journalld parallltoreacliroth'er in ahoriz'ontal plane; with si1`npli``r iie'd'means fortheY supply of theworkfblanksl to'irthe work' formi'gstation `and for the; removal of A:the iirlislield'work'-A pieces from the. work forming station.

Another important Vobject ofthe invention is" to' con# siderablyincrease th'e'- production of finished Iwork-pieces at every revolution of rthe.rollers Accordingto the invention the supply oi thevworkL blank'sto; and the removal of' theiinishedworkpieces' fromrsthe work forming station is eiectedby therolle'rs:

themselves;

It' isean" importantA featureof1 theinvention-that the rolleryby 'fmeans off whicheth'e: work-piecesfare1 conveyed` mand-*away from thefworkfformingYstationfareiso'devisedr that".` they can :be:v arranged.: in. thread: rolling.: machines-AV ozthei standard @type whose Worki shafts arenpositi'oned': in; ala-"horiz,ontal;plane.L It'. is :ford: this; reasomthat the; transfer ifof; the work-pieces ,to and away; lfromv vthe :Worleforminglstation'ris eiectedA :by meansfinotches provided.

by means of a pair of rollers which'rare rotatabl5`/ jour` 2,737,833 Patented Mar. 13

equippedv with'ffanflejeetorffwhiclr is f arrangedfinf arerecess-e offithef-rollereforrotationftherewith and which? onitser :\ta'-` f tion :past vth'e finished fworkpiece rejects 1th`e 1tter;fr'om1its"-f supporteande'hnrlsit -intoa-=notch :of l the;` second roller' which oneitsperipheralv f'travel aroundth'ef seeondfrollerafisa-t thatfmoment positioned exactlyopposite .saidejectorgf whereuponwherrtherotationicontinuestheffishedfworklspiece is ejectedfbyfthe-secondy roller forconveyance =toffa^=s colle'ctingltankr Another advantage of the invention resides in the fe-JaA ture#I that `-th'e twotrollers' yaresodevised and' th'at l' their rotationf'vtakes `place-in suchf'a-Adifection thatftheeworle piecerlebecause .rof lits rotation 'inthe opposite vdirectiong is@ caused-to roll'oifthe -vvork-piece"fsupport` in:y the direction@ of "the-f secondroll'rv lthe Jveryfmomenttheenotch of vvfthe-1' secondrollerisepassingby-itf It' "isfalso"possible'i to devise the constructionf iny fstxclraa-I way'fthatitheerollrs*ase-far as t'heirnotchesfareconcernedV arev so :arranged with lrespectto eachother that lthe iinished worklpie'cei positic'jnedI Ourthe-workpiece support'is ejected by: the work-blank' arrivinginthe-notch" of the =work`ipiece supply-roller fronrsaid work-piece support and :propelledl into'the'atth'atimornent foppositely positioned notch 'of-thee cooperating -roll'rf for-removal l' by the latten A further-"important-ffeaturelof'the inventionn-is th'ea wayinhwhichhth'e ejector,'consisting` fon-instance ofia leaf-spring or the like, is arranged ata'tl-1e--roll'er.f A'c4 cordir'igetcfthe inventionkf thezfejectorfV is fastened 1in a recess of the"rollereandprojectswith its free-end beyond theonter circumferencefof rthe latter:1 The'recess in' which theeejector-is positioned takes'I up afesubstant-ialportionf of-f the-circumferenceof the rollereandis' provided'"with-ore2 merges intowtheHnotch-into whichtheeworkpieces dropl when thefnotelif'onit's*circumferentiali travel around the It axis of 'theKI roller-masses beneath' thev'rnagazine forti-ie workpieces. Tlietejector'extends from the rollerein'as cending directionin# such a manner that it is -obliquelys inclined ltowardf-"th'el -notch :which 'in the direction ofirota;d tionroiftherollerfis'positionedl closely-'jbehind-the -ejector If'the rejectorfis arrangedlikethisaitfwiill not-'interferefin Ikanyway; with@y theIv orderly vperformanceof the' rolling f action and-fv not f require for itsP operation-f any vspecial operatingeandfcontrollig means` suchv as outwardy:arranged. cams 'orfthediker- Furthermore;` an' ejector of 'this" type'- will functionealsirifI work-pieces-of comparatively'shortfv length are to be threaded which do. not project beyond the ends of the rollers.

Theizinvventiorr.furtherrcontemplates .gto arrange?orr-,eacifiou thezztwoeworkshaftsi `:plurality offrollers-:behind- :orteganother in spaceduapart relation,'-.or;.;onyeachaofihe two; worleshaftseone rsingle-frollerhaving a Vpurality: ofaspaced apart rolling isectionsn;` whereby each', of ,r thev I, rollers \-or... rollinggsectionsis .provided withapluralityL of notchesaandl appertaininggejeetors arranged in z thee cicurnferencea,;,of.,fr thetrollersror rolling; sectionst in, -uniformly spaced. apart relation.. In.,thiswayit is :possibleto increase the produc?` tion ofjnished `work-piecesin conformity with thenulrl:r ber of 'rollers or rolling sections employed and inaccordance. witl1.the numberof notches provided 1in the indi#rv vidalroll'rs onrolling'sections. Y

If ,.a` plurality rof lrollers or rolling sections `are'arrangetlJ behindfjone anotherfit" is `A-` advisable; ineordertoV avoid jerking and undue straining of the shafts orsjamming" ot"theefiriish'edworklpieces,V to devise'fthe construction 1in sucha way thatthe notches r ofthe rollers of `:one shaft t aref notldisposed'tinr:horizontal alinernent' but-:uniformly displaccdfwitlrfrespect: to: one another.; In, this wayf af srn'oothsand :unobstructed .wor-kingof z the rollers canne. liablygbeobtained;` v

If ,.thearollersare provided with zafpgluralityf.` of-:rolling sections;-these frolling;ections-.arespaced. apart by 'annular'`v recessessin.zthe-rollerstwhereby,the width ofI the annular recesses corresponds to or approximately corresponds to the width of the portions of the work-pieces, for instance the Width of the head-portions of screw bolts, which are not to be threaded, while the width of the rolling sections corresponds to the length of the bolt portions which are to be provided with the threading. lf, on the other hand, a plurality of individual rollers are to be mounted on one shaft, the width of each roller should correspond to the width of the aforesaid rolling sections, while the` width of the distance regulating sleeves arranged between the individual rollers should correspond to the width of the annular recesses between the rolling sections. v

As it is necessary that the portion of the work-pieces which is not to be threaded, for instance the head of the bolts, laterally projects from the work-piece support, the invention provides the work-piece support positioned between the two rows of rollers or rolling sections which are arranged behind one another with a plurality of recesses for the heads of the bolts to engage in, whereby these recesses are positioned in and correspond in width to the interspaces between the plurality of rollers or rolling sections created by the aforesaid distance regulating sleeves or annular recesses. The recesses in the work-piece support may be either cut out of the work-piece support, or be created by distance regulating pieces inserted between a plurality of individual work-piece supports. A workpiece supporting contrivance f this type extends over the entire length of the rollers or rolling sections arranged behind one another.

The increase in production obtained by a construction like this is shown by the following example:-

If small screw threads of for instance x 16 mm. are to be rolled, the width of the rollers employed for the rolling should be 120 mm. If the entire length of the screw with the inclusion of its head is mm., the rollers may be provided with six rolling sections and five annular recesses between the six rolling sections, so that simultaneously six work blanks can be supplied to the rollers. Depending upon the length of the diameter of the rollers, screws of 5 mm. thickness will require less than half a revolution of the rollers for the completion of the thread. Hence two or possibly three notches for the reception of the work-pieces can be arranged in the circumference of every rolling section, so that every revolution of the rolling sections will produce either two or three finished work-pieces. If the number of revolutions of the rollers is 2000 per hour, the production per hour will be finished work-pieces, in case of two notches per rolling section, or 6 3 2000=36,000 finished work-pieces, in'

case of three notches per rolling section.

Protection against overloading of the rollers, for instance through an increase in diameter of the work-pieces, can be obtained if the construction is so devised that the slide of the roller will bear with a regulated hydraulic pressure against a stationary stop adjusted in conformity with the diameter of the finished work-pieces, s0 that in case of overloading of the rollers the latter will exert an elastic counter pressure.

The machine may be provided either with rollers which are stationarily journalled, or with rollers which are shiftably arranged for displacement transverse to the direction of their axes.`

In the first mentioned case the rollers are so devised that, starting at the notch, the peripheral surface of the rollers gradually rises to the height corresponding to the full depth of the thread to be rolled, maintaining lthis highest surface level concentrically to the axis of rotation through a considerable section of the peripheral surface, whereupon at the end of the rolling path the surface level drops to such an extent that the finished threaded work-piece isthen running idle between the two rollers means of the notches.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which we have illustrated by way of example several embodiments of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a thread rolling machine;

Fig. 2 is a sidey elevation of the machine of Fig. l;

Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, are views of a pair of thread rollers at various stages of the cycle of operation;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views of a pair of thread rollers provided with an electro-hydraulic controlling devise which controls the working stroke and the return movement of the rollers;

Fig. 10 is a view of a pair of rollers provided at diametn'cally opposed places of their circumference with two notches for the reception and transfer of the work-pieces;

Fig. 1l is a view of a pair of rollers provided in their circumference with three notches which are displaced from each other at an angle of 120;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of two rollers mounted behind each other on a common shaft in spaced apart relation and provided in their circumference with notches which are displaced from each other at an angle of Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the construction of Fig. l2;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a roller provided with live rolling sections and four annular recesses between the rolling sections; the notches are shown as being arranged in horizontal alinement.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the thread roller 1 is stationarily journalled in the machine frame 2, while the thread roller 3 is shiftably mounted on the slide 4 for displacement transverse to the direction of its axis. Against the slide 4 presses the piston rod 5 of the piston 6, which is arranged in the cylinder 7. The pressure oilv is supplied to the cylinder through the pipe 8.

The slide 4 is provided with the threaded hole 9, in which engages the threaded front portion 11 of the adjusting spindle 10. The adjusting spindle 10 carries a stop-member 12 which, when the oil pressure is exerted, bears against the bottom of the casing 13. At its rear end the adjusting spindle 10 is provided with the threaded portion 14 and the nut 15. Arranged between the ring 16 and the nut 15 is the pressure spring 17 by means of which the slide 4 is returned to its position of rest when the oil pressure upon the piston 6 stops. Mounted on the threaded portion 18 of the adjusting spindle 10 are the nuts 19 limiting the backward movement of the slide to the desired extent.

Positioned above the roller 1 is the magazine 20 from which the work-pieces 21 drop onto the roller 1. For the reception of the Work-pieces the roller 1 is provided with the recessv 22, having an inclined wall portion 23, while the roller 3 is provided with the recess 24. Fastened to the roller 1, adjacent the recess 22, is the leaf spring 25. lt extends from the roller in ascending direction in such a manner that it is obliquely inclined toward 'the recess 22. The leaf spring is arranged in a recess 26 which` does not carry thread forming serrations. The roller 1 avances In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 the delivery of the work-blanks to the rollers 39 and 40 and the removal of the finished work-pieces from the rollers is effected in the same way as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The way in which the production may be increased has already been described. If, for instance, two notches are provided in the circumference every revolution of the rollers will produce two finished work-pieces, and if the roller is provided with five rolling sections five workblanks will simultaneously be supplied to the rolling sections, so that in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 14 every revolution of the rollers will produce 10 finished work-pieces.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a screw threading machine including two thread forming rollers arranged for cooperation with each other, one of said rollers being provided with a peripheral feeding recess for feeding a work piece to a Working station, and the other roller being provided with a discharging recess for receiving a threaded work piece from said working station and discharging said threaded work piece, the combination of: supporting means arranged intermediate said rollers for supporting a work piece at said working station, and spring means mounted on said one roller adjacent the leading edge of the recess therein to move said work piece from said supporting means into the discharging recess of said other roller.

2. In a screw threading machine including two thread forming rollers, one of said rollers being provided with cut-out portions adaptedy to receive and feed a work piece to a working station between said rollers, the combination of: spring means mounted on said one roller, and fixed control means arranged adjacent a portion of the periphery of said one roller and adapted in response to a iirst predetermined position of said spring means relative to said control vmeans to load said spring means and also adapted in response to a second predetermined position of said spring means relative to said control means to release said spring means, thereby allowing said spring means to become effective so as to remove said work piece from said working station.

3. In a screw threading machine including two rotatable thread forming rollers arranged for cooperation with each other, one of said rollers being providing with peripheral recess means adapted to receive a work piece at a feeding station and to transfer said work piece to a working station between said rollers, and the other one of said rollers being provided with a cut-out portion adapted to receive a threaded work piece at and to carry the "same away from said working station, the combination of: vleaf spring means carried by a serration-free peripheral portion of said one roller and protruding outwardly from said peripheral portion, said leaf spring means being arranged on that side of said recess means which precedes said recess means in the direction of rotation of said one roller, and an arch-shaped element extending from a point near said feeding station in the direc- Y tion of rotation of said one roller to a point near said .working station and being spaced from the outer periphery of said one roller -by a distance less than the protruding portion of said spring means when the latter is in'unloaded condition, said rollers being set relative to each other so that the cut-out portion of said other roller is adjacent said working station when said leaf spring means is leaving the range of said arch-shaped element.

4. A screw threading machine according to claim 3, in which said arch-shaped element is eccentrically arranged with regard to said one roller so as to form a path between said one roller and said arch-shaped element which path is'higher at its entry section than at its central section, thereby facilitating the'entry of said leaf i spring means between said one roller and said leaf spring means and the loading of the latter.

5. A screw threading machine according to claimv l, in which the two rollers are so arranged with respect to each other that said spring means in said one roller and the cooperating discharging recess in said other roller are substantially in the same horizontal plane when the feeding recess in said one roller has reached a position just below the supporting surface of said supporting means.

6. In a machine for roll forming work pieces including two forming rolls arranged for cooperation with each other, one of said rolls being provided with a plurality of peripheral feeding recesses for feeding workpieces to a work station, and the other of said rolls being provided with a plurality of discharging recesses for receiving threaded work pieces from said working station and discharging said threaded work pieces, the combination of: supporting means arranged intermediate said rolls for supporting a work piece at said work station, a plurality of spring means mounted on said one roll corresponding in number to the number of recesses of said one roll, said spring means being uniformly spaced from each other and being respectively arranged adjacent said last mentioned recesses so as to precede the latter in the direction of rotation of said one roll, and a control member adjacent a portion of the periphery of said one roll and arranged successively to load and release each of said spring means.

7. A machine for roll forming cylindrical work pieces comprising, a plurality of work forming rolls, one of said rolls being provided with means for feeding work pieces to a work station, the other of said rolls having a peripheral recess for receiving a formed work piece; at least one spring mounted on said one roll for movement therewith and adapted to project beyond the periphery of said one roll and resiliently contact a work piece positioned at said work station to thereby urge said work piece away from said work station into said recess in said other roll.

8. In a machine for roll forming cylindrical work pieces, a plurality of work forming rolls, one of said rolls being provided with means for feeding a work piece to a work station; at least one spring mounted on said one roll; relatively fixed control means surrounding a portion of said one roll and adapted to load said spring up to a point adjacent said work station and to release said spring when Vsaid spring approaches said work station, said spring being adapted when released to project beyond-the periphery of said one roll and resiliently contact a work piece positioned at said work station to there by urge said work piece away from said work station.

9. In a machine for roll forming cylindrical work pieces, at least two rotatable forming rolls arranged for cooperation with each other, peripheral recess means in one of said rolls adapted to receive a work piece at a feeding -station and to transfer said work piece to a working station between said rolls, peripheral recess means on the other of said rolls adapted to receive a threaded work piece at said work station and to carry said work piece away from said work station, spring means mounted on said one roll adapted normally to project outwardly beyond the periphery of said one roll and to resiliently contact a work piece at said work station, saidspring means being positioned adjacent the leading edge of said recess means on said one roll, a relatively fixed control element extending to a point near said work station and being spaced from the periphery of said one roll by a distance less than the outwardly projecting portion of said spring means, said rolls being 'disposed relative to each other so that the recess means of said other roll is adjacent said working station when 9 said spring means is leaving the range of said control element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 96,372 Wiggenhorn Nov. 2, 1869 Landis Aug. Sheppard Jan. Frayer Feb. Plagemann Feb. Wernhoner Sept. Hopkins Mar. 

